Question: I’m going to Costa Rica on a surfing trip with my buddies next week and since my dentist told me I needed a crown, I’m thinking of having it done there since I’ve heard it’s a quarter of the cost. Is it safe to get my crown done in Costa Rica or in any other foreign country for that matter? Answer: Many people take this risk every year and it’s increasingly popular due to the status of the economy.

It sure sounds great: get your dental work done on the cheap and see the sites, all for less than what the dental work would have cost in the US.

But what are you really buying with dental tourism?

The activity of seeking dental care outside of the US to save money is called dental tourism, and is more common that you would think. Several of my patients have had dental work done in India, China, Mexico, Romania, and yes, even Hungary.

So, which country has good dental care? Nice try! I can’t really say for sure, but this article can certainly help guide you in your thinking.?Dental Tourism is not for the faint of heart, and requires some courage, planning, and most of all, research.

Why are the prices for dental work lower in some countries?

There are many reasons, among them currency exchange advantages, less local professional restrictions, and fewer barriers to becoming a dentist. Materials, such as non-precious gold, can certainly make a crown cheaper.

But here’s the kicker: It may be cheaper because a completely different procedure is being performed.

Here at home, and sometimes abroad, the standard of care is determined by the standard that would be exercised by the reasonably prudent professional in that line of work. This is called the standard of care and can vary from country to country.

Obviously, you want you work done in a country that is equal to or exceeds the standard of care that you are used to. We certainly take for granted the standard of living and care in this country.

Going the Route of Dental Tourism

If you do decide to go the route of dental tourism and get that crown done in Costa Rica, I recommend doing your research first.

The training and experience of the dentist is paramount, but so is the environment in which he or she practices.

Consider simple things like the water that is being used in Mexico. This water will be used to irrigate an open wound after an extraction or implant site.

It goes without saying that the standard of water quality in Mexico is not as high as it is in the US. Some dental clinics can filter the water, and I highly recommend you check with the dental clinic in Costa Rica to see what their water filtration procedures are like.

What kind of gold alloy is going to be used in that crown about to be cemented in your mouth? Will it cause metal poisoning down the road? Is it high in nickel content? Is it a high noble, noble, or base metal??What if there is a medical emergency due to the adminstration of local anesthesia? How close is the local hospital? What is the standard of care for hospitals in that country? There go the savings of having it done on the cheap in a foreign country. It can easily be more expensive in the long run if things go wrong. I have seen and treated dental work from all over the world. I’ve removed rexillium?dental bridges in patients’ mouths that became red hot and produced toxic metallic dust. I’ve removed teeth that were slowly killing the surrounding bone due to a toxic root canal filling material, and I’ve actually measured radioactivity in metal taken out of the mouth.

For every horror story I have seen, I have seen some sucessful dental work done in other countries. Dental work in France and Germany come to mind, however, the cost was not much different than that in the US. These were dental emergencies during vacations that were well handled by the local dentist.

You could see an American trained dentist in Costa Rica or a dentist that is seen by the American diplomats, and probably get good work done. It’s a crap shoot in countries with fewer restrictions and lower barriers to becoming a dentist, and your chances are safer in countries with more formally trained professionals. Another thing to consider is the politics of health care in the country. Countries with nationalized health services are not based on a preventative model; that is, instead of saving the tooth, they will remove it.

Insurance Companies and Dental Tourism

Now here’s a scary twist to the story. If there’s a way to save money, you can bet the insurance companies will be interested. American insurance companies are beginning to pay benefits and are adding an “international treatment option” to their US dental plans. It’s not the “emergency care while on business travel” option, it’s a plan that will pay benefits outside of the US if you choose to have your dentistry done, say, in the Phillippines. The insurance company will contract with specific providers in these countries to try to guarantee quality. Many people who choose to make use of international treatment options have family in foreign countries and have access to dentists in those countries. Maybe the insurance companies think that utilization of the plan will be lower if they do seek care in countries outside of the US.

Dental Tourism Essential Questions

If you are beginning to feel nervous, then I’ve accomplished my goal of making you wary. Here are a few absolutely necessary questions to research and think hard about before you have dental work done in Costa Rica or any foreign country.

Who’s the professional doing the work?

Where was he or she trained?

What is the standard of care for the doctor?

What is the standard of care in the country?

What metals will be used in the dental work? Are they toxic?

Does the country have a nationalized dental service (run and funded by the government)?

If something goes wrong, are you willing and able to go back to see your dentist in that foreign country?

In any case, I would be very wary of traveling any further than you care to drive a few times per month. And pick your dentist the old fashion way, by word of mouth!

9 Comments

You seem like you are knowledgable guy, I am looking at getting dental imlants on my lower jaw, i think i”ll I need 2 implants. I already have dentures, but will need a new set as well, What do you think a ballpark cost on this procedureis and most important is it safe.? I appreciate any info you can give me.

I went to costa rica in January and had two inplants put in and paid 1900.00 dollars and was told to come back in three months to finish the procedure and it would take seven to ten days and all i would owe for would be the denture at a cost of about 1500.00 dollars.When I got home the Doctor E. mailed and said the only other thing i had to paid for would be to open were the abutments go at a cost of 300.00 dollars. Since i got home i have had some health issues and my doctor does not want me leaving the country.I got a dentist here to finish the procedure but doctor in costa rica wants to charge me for the abutments what recourse do i have i have to paid a 1050.00 for the abutments here

I really think the problem with the dental industry in America, is the lack of willingness of the dentists to work with their patients. I can put a $5000 set of braces on my child’s teeth for $140 a month, ask a dentist to work out payment arrangements on something that you really need to have done, it’s like PULLING TEETH! Seriously, dentists need to build better client relations, and the way to do it, is don’t make everything so dang difficult. People want to take care of their teeth, people don’t like walking around toothless, but seemingly it is becoming the only, affordable option. If you don’t have a phenomenal insurance plan, you are screwed, and if you are a woman who has babies, you are even more screwed. It’s hard to keep up in an economy that is rising and falling constantly. We want better health for ourselves, but apparently, teeth aren’t considered our health. It is a total slap in the face to Americans. This theory that a few bad seeds ruins it for everyone, it is a tragedy, because so many of us just want to find a good dentist, create a dental plan for their mouths, work out a payment arrangement and get the work done. Whether it takes 6 months or a year for people to pay off their teeth on a payment plan, it is, in my opinion, the dentists that need to start getting creative and working not for just the bottom dollar, but for their patients. (Note: This does not pertain to every dentist, but a good majority of them!) Anyhow, just my opinion, and it really doesn’t say a whole lot, in my opinion about the American dentists having to compete now with the foreign dentists… many of which can do just as good, even better!

You are so right! There are few options here and it’s not ok. Why is weight loss surgery covered in many cases and even skin removal afterward but yet teeth aren’t covered especially when they can lead to other issues? They make it nearly impossible for the average person to afford good care. It leads to depression, medical issues and a lack of being able to be yourself when your teeth aren’t in good health. Most of the time, it’s not because people don’t care (and yes I know there are people that could care less or are drug addicts) but it’s because it’s not affordable or other illnesses and treatments have caused damage. Where does it change?

How about Doctor salaries in the US vs abroad as a contributing factor to the cost of care? My dentist friends work some of the lightest schedules and make more money than anyone I know. It’s pathetic.

The median income of dentists in the US is 123k. Dental education costs as much as 500k. A properly trained dentist does not come out into the work force until age 27 to 29. The equivalently trained dentist in Europe make about the same, but the education is subsided by the government in most cases. Dentists have a high occupational rate of disease and injury. It’s hard work managing a business, being an employer, and being the provider (very few MDs do this). There is plenty of followup work past the clinical hours, not including the training needed to keep one’s skills current (continuing education). Inflation of Dental care has kept behind medical care for the past 30 years, yet dental insurance rates have kept steady compared to medical insurance rates (which have skyrocketed).Preventative measures in oral health and seeing your dentist twice a year can keep your dental bill to less than one month’s medical insurance payment.

Got my first root canal done in Hangzhou, China, two in fact . Additionally, they plastered a chipped tooth, filled a cavity on another, and used resin to replace the enamel on the two teeth that got root canals. It was about five hours of dental work on four teeth and cost 1,400 RMB or about 200 US dollars. That includes a full x-ray with a large, expensive looking machine and multiple partial x rays with a smaller device. I heard that in the United States that the cost can be five times that for a single root canal. The doctor was very experienced and did great work remaking 70% of my damaged teeth with resin. In Korea, I paid about three times what I did in China, and they did the exact same procedure, used the same tools, and it took just as long.

It amazes me that people treat European countries like they are third world. They have educational systems, including dental schools, that have been operating much longer than the US and their citizens live longer, happier lives. Hungary is quite advanced in dental procedures and cheaper. Stop acting like the US is the only civilized country in the world. Please do your research and talk to people that have actually had work done in the country you are thinking about and research the dentists there. You may pleasantly surprised.